A Titan's Prize
by DarthLexxor
Summary: Ghost-less for a second time. A confrontation with a Shadow of Yor leaves a Titan with a single question: Can a Thorn still be a Rose? (Alternate Timeline from A Titan's Life)


**Hey guys, I am back once again. I am trying to keep Friday my fanfic day, but life seems to have a different plan for me. Sigh, anyways this idea would not leave me alone ever since I got my Thorn. This does feature the same Titan from A Titan's Life, but it is an alternate Timeline.** I**n this timeline Tal-9 still was wiped out by vex, however there have been a few notable changes to the real timeline. Osiris is dead after taking the shot meant for Sagira as he threw her through the portal. She returns to the tower to get Ikora to help her, but feels a draw to the sunbreaker crypt. She revives Tal-9 and the two head to mercury to fight off the vex. Along the way, Tal-9 discovers Saint 14's resting place, and dons his helmet and shotgun. Rest of the campaign goes normally (save for a lack of Osiris) and Sagira gets taken by Panoptes. This leaves Tal-9 ghostless as he heads back to Ikora to get her help.**

**If any of my MHA fic fans are here, I am awed and wowed by the love you guys have shown, and by everyone who leaves a review on any of my work. Thank you guys.**

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As always I own only my plot in how it differs from the campaign, and my Oc's. Everything else belongs to it's owners.

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_**ITS GOT MEEEE!**_

Tal-9 closed his optics and willed the memories to leave him be as he trekked across the scorching sands. The last Vex patrol he had come across had the bad fortune of noticing him, and had learned that had been a mistake, as round after round roared from Saint's shotgun. Another patrol materialized almost on top of him and with an angry roar, he unloaded the shotgun on the hapless robots, leaving nothing but smoldering metal behind him. He started forward again, until a Hunter lept from one of the obelisks, and landed in front of him. The Hunter was clad in black and dark green armor. His cape torn and ragged. Tal felt his optics roll of their own accord at the sight of ANOTHER dark and edgy Hunter. Then the Hunter pulled a hand cannon on him and the amusement was gone. Tal-9 froze, staring fixed at the barrel of a gun no guardian should wield. "Sooooo, I see I don't need to explain to you why this gun should scare ya." The Hunter said in a mocking tone. Tal guessed that his opponent was an Awoken, by the tone of superiority in the insult. The Hunter continued. "That's a nice scattergun you got there. How about a little goodwill amongst guardians? I see that Sunshot on your hip, so why don't you just give me the shotgun? Nice and slow of course."

Tal-9 felt his grip on the shotgun tighten. "**I know you're listening. Yall always are. Don't bring him back or I'll end you too.**" The hunter looked over his shoulder to see what Tal was looking at, and Tal sprinted forward. The Hunter realized what was going on and with a laugh fired his infernal cannon. But Tal-9 dropped into a slide, his thick armor scraping harshly against the sand as he brought the shotgun up and fired into the Hunter's gut. The impact lifted the Hunter off the ground, and sent him back almost a foot from where he had stood. As Tal-9 stood, he watched as the Hunter's Ghost emerged, scanning the body. Cold anger filled the Titan, and Tal-9 strode over to the corpse. "**I told you to leave him.**" The Ghost's single optic seemed to frown at him.

"You know I can't do that." Tal racked a shell into Saint-14's shotgun and the Ghost scoffed. "You and I both know that won't harm me."

"**You're right….**" Tal seemed to think for a moment, before an amethyst shield appeared on his arm. "**But this will.**"

The little robot seemed to cower for a moment before speaking. "Then you would be no better than him." Tal-9's shoulders slumped and the shield disappeared with a sigh as he bent down to retrieve the Hunter's cannon.

"**Sometimes it aint about being better. It's about being right.**"

"Then end me. For I will not leave my charge."

"**So be it.**" He slung his shotgun over his back, and walked away, still holding the cursed gun. He heard the Hunter being revived behind him, and then the Hunter's cry of anger at the missing cannon. He said some kind of angry threat to his Ghost and then Tal heard the whistle of the knife flying towards him. He spun to the side, and the blade imbedded in a nearby rock before exploding. However, he had brought the cannon up during his spin, and as the rock exploded he fired a single round. The Hunter dropped. Green energy flowed into the gun as Tal-9 approached, and a quick check of the cylinder revealed that the gun had reloaded itself. The Hunter's Ghost scanned the body of it's charge once more.

"His light is….fading…."

Tal-9 grimaced under Saint-14's helm. Turning and walking away once more he said "**..No….. His light is gone…**"

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Getting Brother Vance to reconfigure his teleporter to send him to his ship had taken a small miracle. Tal rubbed his metal fingers in the space on his forehead between his twin horns. He didn't know if Exo's could quite get what organics referred to as a headache, but after what he had just been through, he felt like it. The rushing colors by the view screen weren't helping anything, and he set the ship to notify him when they reached the tower before heading to his bunk. Not bothering to take his armor off, he collapsed on the metal bed and tried not to think about the second Ghost that had come to harm because of him….

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"I'll hold it open for as long as I can!"

"**Don't.**" The shocked Warlock almost lost her grip holding the portal open. "**I'm not leaving without Sagira. Either we will both come out, or neither of us will. I'm not losing another Ghost.**" Ikora looked like she was about to say something, but Tal sprinted through the gate. Seeing the gate still open he chucked a suppression grenade behind him. As the gate slammed shut, he could have swore that Ikora had cursed at him. He would apologize later. Assuming he emerged again. Now that he was away from Ikora, he put the Shotgun on his back, and pulled his new cannon from underneath his Titan's mark. It had felt wrong, hiding the vile weapon beneath what was a Titan's greatest pride, but he knew it would cause too much trouble if the Vanguard ahd caught wind of the weapon. As he held the jagged gun, he felt the weapon's hunger, not for light or even life. Rather it was hungry to simply be used. To destroy those before it. Pulling the hammer back, he aimed the gun forward, and walked through the second gate. The gun would get it's wish….

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Landing on the large plateau that Panoptes had created, he yelled at the massive floating vex. "**FACE ME!**"

The vex seemed to laugh in it's way, before speaking. "_**I destroyed two of the brightest lights that your Taveler had to offer. You are nothing Little Light. But you shall have your wish…..**_" Still reeling from Panoptes new ability to speak, the Titan almost didn't notice the Ghost that was flung towards him. Catching the metal projectile, Tal almost leapt for joy, until Sagira weakly spoke.

"I-i'm sor-ry Gaur-dd-ia-n. I t-r0-ied to -res-s-s-s-si-st."

"**Rest now Sagira. I can handle this.**"

Sagira seemed to be regaining her strength in the presence of his light. "Y-yo-u can not fig-ht him al-ala-alone."

"**I've got this Sagira. Rest now, and trust me.**"

The little ghost seemed to want to say something, but instead he felt her materialize in his pack. He turned back to the massive Vex which again seemed to be doing it's awful laugh.

"_**How touching Little Light. But it's time for you to meet your end as the Rogue and the Saint did.**_" Tal-9 angrily began striding towards the Vex, as he materialized dozens of Fallen to stop him. It didn't work. Angry green shots lit the darkened plateau as the Fallen fell. Green energy flew from their corpses into the cannon, giving the Titan an unending stream of ammo as he continued his approach. Next the Hive swarmed him, meeting the same fate. Finally, the Cabal were sent to their dooms as well. Panicking, Panoptes began to tear away at Tal-9's light, attempting to erase him from existence. Sagira appeared at his shoulder, shielding him from the effects as he leapt towards the Vex. At the same time Panoptes went to slam his hands together to end the Titan, only to be stopped by a glowing purple sphere. Panoptes pulled his hands back and tried to smash the bubble again but it didn't give. Tal-9 leapt from the bubble and emptied all nine bullets in the gun's cylinder before landing next to Panopte's eye. "_**Error-error- does not match data. Query: What have you done to me Little-l-l-l Lig-ht?**_"

Tal-9 didn't respond as he reloaded the cylinder, and then snapped it back into the jagged revolver. Aiming it at the Vex's eye he said "**Taken what little light you had in your pathetic existence. Now enjoy Saint-14's last moments!**" With that he unloaded the cylinder once more, this time into Panopte's core, before rocketing back to the plateau to watch as the energy and light slowly faded. Sending the massive Vex plummeting into the endless abyss of the Infinite Forest. With a Hunter-like spin of the cannon, he snapped open the cylinder, and reloaded it, before strapping it on his thigh with pride. Sagira floated to the weapon and then back to his face.

"What have you done?"

Tal felt anger rise in him. "**Saved your life.**" He spat.

Sagira's expression seemed to soften, and her tone was soft as she spoke. "But at what cost?"

Tal turned his gaze away in shame. "**It doesn't matter. You're back and safe. That's enough for me.**" He said, and began walking away.

She floated over to him. "We will talk about this. Later." Her tone was hard, and left the Exo Titan with no doubt about whether he would enjoy it.

"**Later.**" He echoed somberly, only slightly comforted by the fact that at least there would be a later now that she was back.

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They did not leave out the gate he emerged from. Not wanting to deal with Ikora and Sagira about his new weapon, Tal-9 had Sagira transmat them directly to their ship. He did call a rather irate Ikora to give his report. After the initial reprimanding, she thanked him for his service to the Vanguard, and then dropped a bomb on him. Due to Sagira's ability to navigate and control aspects of the Forest, and his own ability to survive the Forest, the Vanguard had given him exclusive jurisdiction of the Infinite Forest by a unanimous vote. He numbly accepted the new assignment, and Ikora signed off. Though, not before informing him that if he ever repeated his actions upon entering the Forest, he would go ten rounds in the Crucible with her. Slightly nervous, he gave his apologies, and she chuckled before signing off for real. Ignoring Sagira's pointed glare at him, he put the ship in orbit around Mercury before heading to the ship's bar.

The Pitfall Souter E5D was not a nimble ship. She made up for it with her thick plating, and roomy interior, in Tal-9's eyes anyway. The galley and bunks on the cruiser were far more than he had seen in most of his fellow Guardian's ships. Most tending to prefer small fighters, or large weapon emplacements that filled the extra size they had. But this cruiser felt more like a home, a place where he didn't have to be a guardian all of the time. As he grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a glass he heard Sagira enter the galley. He knew she would wait for him to speak first. That was their style. So instead he poured the glass, and walked to his quarters, locking the door behind him. He heard her muffled sigh through the metal door.

"_Are we really going to do this?"_ He didn't reply. He threw back the contents of the glass, grateful for the burn, and the fire in his gut as his shaking metal hands seemed to calm somewhat. Grabbing the cursed cannon with his now only slightly shaking hands, he stared at the jagged weapon made from metal and bone. The weapon seemed to stare back at him in a way. Sated, but ready for more if he would give it. The door slid open and Sagira entered.

"Please put that away." Her tone was soft, not demanding, requesting. Tal-9 didn't move, he just kept staring at the weapon. "Tal.. please put that away…" As if waking from a dream Tal's green and grey head snapped up at the sound of her voice. His magenta eyes studying her as her request processed. Then as if realizing what he held, he emptied the cylinder, and threw the gun away. Making a metallic clang as hit the wall, and another as it hit the floor where it stopped. His hands covered his face and his body trembled. Sagira didn't know if Exo's could cry, but it seemed as if he was trying. She floated over, lightly pressing herself against the side of his metal face as if to comfort him. He stopped, startled.

"**You need to tell Ikora what I've done….**"

"Not a chance."

Shocked he turned to her. "**You have to. What I did….what I've done…. That weapon…**"

"Do you honestly think I'm losing another Guardian? Or watching as the city again turns its back on a hero because he did something they don't agree with? Not. A. Chance."

"**I killed a Guardian Sagira. For real. He had that gun… and I killed him….his Ghost brought him back….. and he attacked me….so I used that gun and killed him for good…. The Vanguard must know Sagira. I've been-**"

"Corrupted?" She interjected. "I don't think so." He was going to argue, but she cut him off. "Did you know that I knew the Ghost of Dredgen Yor?" Tal shook his head. "It's true. I knew Shin Maplhur as well. See there are perks to being one of the oldest Ghosts around! Anyways, I know you aren't corrupted. Because the corruption of Yor, and the corruption of the Shadows, blinded them. They saw it as strength. That gun also is not the same. I've seen the original. It hungered for my light, everyone's light. That is a pale imitation of such a weapon."

"**But it killed a Guardian.**"

"So do the Vex!" She snapped. "Saint….Osiris…. Lots can kill a Guardian. But you used that to save me." She gave him another nuzzle on his cheek. "I didn't see you laugh maniacally as your enemies fell. You didn't bathe in the blood of your enemies. You rescued me and if that's not heroic I don't know what is!" She stated firmly.

He chuckled, pressing his forehead to the Ghost, and she pressed back. Simply taking comfort in the other's presence before he pulled back. Looking at the gun laying in the corner he asked "**So your telling me to use this gun?**"

She laughed. "Not on your life! You make that call on your own, I'm just letting you know that I'm not going anywhere."

He stood. Striding over to the discarded cannon, he picked it up, inspecting it for damages. Finding none he put it back on his hip. "**Thank you Sagira. For everything. I'm not sure about what will come, but I think between the two of us we can stay out of trouble.**"

"Or cause more trouble than anyone's ever seen!" She exclaimed proudly, and they both laughed.

"**Or that. But who knows? Maybe to control a forest, it will help to have some thorns on our side….**"

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So yeah, definitely a bit of canon story breaking but I'm happy with this. For now it will be just a one shot, but who knows, the story bug might byte me again and we will revisit this.

But for now, All stories must end, and I think we can leave Tal-9 and Sagira up to their inevitable mischief to follow!


End file.
